#BookReview: My Husband’s Son by Deborah O’Connor @BonnierZaffre

Published: 6 October 2016

Copy provided by Bonnier Zaffre & Netgalley

A gripping psychological thriller with a devastating twist, perfect for fans of Apple Tree Yard, While My Eyes Were Closed and Between You and Me

You’d always recognise your own son. Wouldn’t you?

Heidi and Jason aren’t like other couples.

Six years ago, Heidi’s daughter was murdered. A year later, Jason’s son Barney disappeared. Their shared loss brought them together.

By chance, Heidi meets a boy she’s certain is Barney.

But Jason is equally convinced it’s not him.

Is Heidi mad? Or is Jason hiding something? And can their fragile marriage survive Heidi’s newfound quest for the truth . .

My Thoughts & Review:

“My Husband’s Son” was another of those books that I initially saw on social media around publication date and thought it sounded interesting, there were differing opinions on it but the general consensus was that it was a good thriller and rather chilling so worth checking out.

Heidi and Jason are a couple with a very unique past, each is parent to a lost child. Heidi’s daughter was murdered and Jason’s son disappeared, but both parents are determined to try and move on with life and come to terms with those awful facts.
When Heidi spots a lad in the local off license one day she is certain is Jason’s son she becomes convinced she’s found Barney. Her conviction about this sighting is not enough to persuade Jason, he cannot see any resemblance between the lad called Tommy and the computer images he has for what Barney might look like, adamant that he would know his own son if he saw him.

From here Heidi changes, she becomes obsessed with Tommy, and in turn her life begins to fall apart. Her relationship with Jason is already one under a certain amount of strain. Their shared grief does not make for the steadiest foundation, and the reported sightings of Barney over the years have been hard on the couple, especially when nothing conclusive has come from them. Heidi’s suspicions drive her to make decisions that are questionable, but she is determined to find out the truth no matter what it takes.

The characters in this book are interesting, and O’Connor has done a tremendous job creating Tommy. His skin crawling creepiness is enough to make readers shudder, the powerful hold he has over Heidi is so well written. I was aware that I felt like I wanted to warn Heidi about him, urge her to break the hold he had and get away from him as fast as possible – I love it when a character can evoke such a strong response in a reader.
Heidi and Jason are damaged characters, initially Heidi is portrayed as determined to get through each day, the past haunts her but by getting up and taking on the day she might just survive. The change in her to obsessively driven and descending into the realms of unsavoury actions is such a turning point in the story.
Jason on the other hand, he seems fragile and almost lost. Divorcing his first wife (and mother of Barney), changing jobs – actions that should bring about huge change for him but his life seems stuck, he cannot move past that moment when his son went missing.

This was definitely a book that caught me off guard with the ending (no spoilers here!) but I will say it’s a good thriller, eerie and full of suspense.